Invisible gas glows in first image from radio array

Not bad for a rookie. While the Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA) in Chile is still nearing completion, the first test shots released from the project reveal the potential of this powerful radio telescope. This vibrant new image of the colliding Antennae Galaxies is the best submillimetre-wavelength image of the duo to date. It reveals the contorted mass under two different wavelength spans that probe carbon monoxide molecules inside gas clouds where new stars are forming - observations that do not show up at visible wavelengths.

This shot used only 12 antennas out of the planned 66. As additional antennas become available, observations will improve in speed, definition, and quality.

The millimetre wavelengths ALMA homes in on will enable astronomers to peer into distant clouds of cosmic dust to understand the machinations of star and planet formation.